Lacing device.



No. 677,044. Patented lune 25, l90l. S. SIMMEL &. J. A. BEITZ.

LACING DEVICE.

(Applicatiofl filed Oct. 23, 1900.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SALO SIMMEL AND JOHN A. REITZ, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

LACING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 677,044, dated June 25,1901.

Application filed Dotober 23, 1900. Serial No. 34,060. CNo model.)

To (0Z5 whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SALO SIMMEL and JOHN A. REITZ, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State ofNew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in LacingDevices, of which the following is a full and complete specification,such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appert-ains tomakeand use the same.

This invention relates to lacing devices for shoes and other articles;and the object thereof is to provide improved devices of this classwhereby the laces remain at all times in the fastening device or deviceswith which they are connected and all that is necessary to lace the shoeor other article being to draw the laces tightly and tie them.

The invention is an improvement on that described and claimed in UnitedStates Letters Patent No. 622,721, granted to Salo Simmel April 11,1899, and is fully disclosed in the following specification, of whichthe accompanying drawings form a part, in which- Figure 1 is a side viewof a shoe provided with our improvement; Fig. 2, a front view of a partthereof; Fig. 3, a partial section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4a plan View of a blank from which our improved fastening device is made.

In the drawings forming part of this specification the separate parts ofour improvement are designated by the same reference characters in eachof the views, and in said drawings we have shown at 6 a shoe of theusual form, the upper front portion of which is open, as shown at 6, soas to form two side flaps 6 and in the practice of our invention weprovide fastening devices 7, which are of the following construction.

Referring to Fig. 4 of the drawings,8 represents a blank of metal,comprising an oblong body portion provided at one end with a head 8,having side prongs 8 and in the outer edge thereof an angular notch orrecess 8. The body portion of the blank is also provided centrallythereof with a circular part 8, on which is formed, opposite the head 8an angular projecting member 8 having a prong 8, which projects in linewith the body portion, and in forming the fastening device the blank 8is bent into the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in which the part 8 formsthe top of the fastening device. The part 8 forms the base thereof, andthe prong 8 is passed down through the angular notch orrecess 8. In thisoperation the top 8 and the base 8 of the fastening device are connectedat one side by the body portion of the blank, which forms a loop, andthe part 8* is bent downwardly perpendicularly, as shown in Fig. 3. Theblank 8 is also provided in the head 2 with a hole 8 and in the circularportion 8 with a similar hole 8 In securing the fastening device to theflaps of the shoe the prongs 8 and 8 are passed through said flaps andare then clenched on the inner side of said flaps, as shown at the leftof Fig. 3.

In the operation of folding the blank to form the fastening device, ashereinbefore described, a pin 9 is secured vertically between the top orhead and the base of the fastening device in the holes 8 and 8 and onsaid pin is placed a grooved roller 10, and in pass-- ing a lacingthrough the fastening devices the said lacing is passed between the loopformed by the body portion of the blank at 8 and the said groovedroller.

In practice we employ the usual lace or laces 11, which are passedthrough the fastening devices, as above described, and when thelace orlaces are threaded through all the fastening devices the separate endsthereof are pulled so as draw the flaps of the shoe closely together,after which the ends of the lace or laces may be tied in the usualmanner. By providing fastening devices of the class herein describedhaving a central pivoted roller and threading the lace or laces throughthe fastening devices, as described, so that they bear on said rollers,the lace or laces may be drawn tight by pulling on the ends thereof, aswill be readily understood, and when the lace or laces are untied theywill slip easily through the fastening devices, thus permitting the shoeto be drawn off conveniently. It will also be observed that thefastening devices appear when secured to the shoe substantially of theusual form, and said devices are simple in construction and operationand comparatively inexpensive, and it will be ap parent thatthe same maybe applied to corsets, gloves, leggings, and various other articles, aswell as to shoes.

Having fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. A fastening device composed of an oblongblank provided centrally with a circular part, and at one end with ahead having side prongs, and a notch or recess centrally of the outeredge, said blank being also provided opposite said head, and at theopposite side of said circular portion with a projecting part providedwith a prong, which extends inline with the body portion, substantiallyas shown and described.

2. A fastening device, comprising a top or head 8, and a base 8 said topor head and said base being integrally connected at one side, and saidtop or head being provided at the opposite side with adownwardly-directed member provided with a prong which passes through anotch or recess formed in the base, and said base being also providedwith prongs, and a roller pivoted between the top or head and the base,substantially asshown and de scribed.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our invention We have signedour names, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 20th day ofOctober, 1900.

SALO SIMMEL. JOHN A. REITZ.

\Vitnesses:

O. O. OLSEN, F. A. STEWART.

